The desire to reduce automotive fuel consumption and emissions is well documented. Therefore, vehicles are being developed that reduce or completely eliminate reliance on internal combustion engines. Electrified vehicles are currently being developed for this purpose. In general, electrified vehicles differ from conventional motor vehicles because they are selectively driven by one or more battery powered electric machines. Conventional motor vehicles, by contrast, rely exclusively on the internal combustion engine to propel the vehicle.
A conductive charging system typically connects an electrified vehicle to an external power source, such as a wall outlet or a charging station, for charging the battery pack of the vehicle. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and battery electric vehicles, for example, include a vehicle inlet assembly having ports for receiving a connector from the charging station. Some components of the charging system generate heat during charging events. These components may need to be cooled to avoid overheating during certain charging events (e.g., DC fast charging events).